Grant Matching & Fit Scores Guide

Overview

When you open a grant's detail page, GrantsPath can generate a **Fit Score** that tells you how well that grant matches your tribal profile. The score goes beyond simple keyword matching — it evaluates your organization's eligibility, readiness, and alignment with the grant's requirements using signals specific to tribal grant seekers.

Fit Scores require a **Researcher tier or above**. Free Explorer accounts see a locked badge with an option to upgrade.

What Fit Scores Evaluate

Each score is a number from **0 to 100**, calculated against your tribal profile. The system checks factors that matter specifically for tribal grant applicants — things like your tribal recognition status, whether your focus areas match the grant's funding category, your jurisdiction, and your organization's capacity and compliance readiness.

The scoring goes deeper than what's written in the NOFO. It considers context that a human reviewer would notice — like grants that don't explicitly mention tribes but have historically been awarded to tribal applicants, or programs where tribal set-asides exist but aren't prominently listed.

Reading Your Score

On the grant detail page, the Fit Score badge is color-coded:

**Green (80–100)** — Excellent Match. Strong alignment with your profile.

**Yellow (60–79)** — Good Match. Worth pursuing, some gaps may exist.

**Red (below 60)** — Partial Match. Review the reasoning to see what's missing.

Below the badge, a **"Why This Grant Fits"** section explains the specific factors that contributed to your score in plain language.

Requirements

Two things must be true before you can generate a Fit Score:

1. **Complete your profile** — If key fields are missing, you'll see a "Complete Your Profile First" prompt with a link to your profile page.

2. **Have a paid subscription** — Researcher, Sovereign, or Nation tier. Free Explorer accounts see a locked badge.

Generating and Regenerating Scores

Fit Scores are generated **per grant** when you visit a grant's detail page.

If your profile changes (new tribal verification, updated focus areas, etc.), click **"Regenerate Fit Score"** on the grant detail page to recalculate with your latest data.

Scores are cached so you won't re-run the calculation every time you revisit the page.

Profile Fields That Matter Most

To get the most accurate Fit Scores, prioritize these profile sections:

1. **Tribal Affiliation** — Verify your tribe through the 574 Registry. Tribal recognition status is the strongest signal in the scoring model.

2. **Grant Preferences** — Set your focus areas, location, and grant writing experience level.

3. **Compliance Status** (Sovereign+) — SAM.gov status, indirect cost rate, and audit status improve accuracy.

4. **Land Jurisdiction** (Sovereign+) — Reservation, off-reservation trust, and ceded/ancestral land designations improve geographic matching.

Tips

A score below 60 doesn't mean "don't apply" — read the reasoning to understand what's missing. Sometimes a grant is still worth pursuing if you can address the gaps.

Regenerate your score after major profile updates, especially after tribal verification.

The more complete your profile, the more accurate your scores. Incomplete profiles produce lower scores because the system can't verify alignment on missing fields.

Grant Matching & Fit Scores